Rider program gives area students a head start on business

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger12-year-old Lauren Brolo of Columbus and 12-year-old William Tabro of Trenton use play money to purchase wholesale goods from math specialist Melanie Taylor as they learn about structuring a purchasing and selling plan for a business during the "Minding Our Business" mentor program at Rider University. Lawrenceville, NJ 7/26/11

The Hedgepeth Williams Middle-School student from Trenton owns Sierra’s Stylin’ Shades and TuTu’s, a business she created with the help of the Minding Our Business community outreach program through the Rider University College of Business Administration.

“If a kid wants to start a business, but doesn’t know what to start, they can start here,” said Winder.

She won second place and $75 in an MOB business plan competition earlier this summer and is now mentoring other young business prodigies.

The nonprofit program is in its 15th year. It teaches careful entrepreneurship skills to middle school children.

In addition, this summer’s program offers math studies and a class modeled around a book club.

The math class, led by Monument Elementary School math teacher Melanie Taylor, is preparing students for a visit to a wholesale district in New York City, where they’ll purchase bulk materials for use in creating products: For some students, it may be jewelery, for others clothing or food. Later on, those items will be sold in an MOB “market fair.”

In previous years, Taylor says, there have been too many mistakes.

“The nice thing is, they get to practice before they go to the market fair. We can see what their errors are before they lose their own money,” she said.

The reading class is led by Monument Elementary teacher Martha Higginbotham. Girls are assigned to read “Growing Up Girls,” and boys, “Boys to Men.” During class, girls and boys are asked about growing up and how their experiences relate to those described in the books.

“It takes away the fear of talking about a specific issue they’re facing,” said Higginbotham.

Kaydean Grant, 11, and Kyara Lamons, 12, from Hedgepeth Williams Middle School found out about the MOB program when co-founder Sigfredo Hernandez visited their class. Grant is putting together an everyday jewelry brand for girls aged 12 to 18, but has yet to give it a name.

She said she thinks young people should get involved with MOB, “so they don’t think Trenton’s a bad place. I’m trying to make Trenton a better place.”

Lamons is pitching, “Sweet Fashion.” Her business offers bakery foods, candy, beverages, and more. She enjoys learning how to write income statements and how to present her business professionally.

Nazir Houston-Parks and Malcolm Milton, both 11 and from Village Charter School, want to own businesses and believe they’ve learned how to manage them. Houston-Parks is designing a male fashion brand with hats, watches and sunglasses, while Milton is jumping into the convenience store business.

Thirty MOB students will be selling business items at their market fair on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at Union Baptist Church, 301 Pennington Ave., Trenton.